Birdsong
by jibbsloversunited
Summary: A short collection of Jibbs stories involving 'marine lubricant' read it as you will .
1. Welcome

**Welcome**

Welcome to another round of Jibbsfest! And welcome to our new authors. The prompts this time were:

Birdsong  
A picture frame  
'marine lubricant' (read it as you will)

If anyone is interested in participating in a future round, feel free to introduce yourself on the forum (Forums – TV – NCIS – Jenny&Gibbs – Jibbsfest) or PM me (MissJayne).

Secret Santa Jibbsfest sign-up is now open!


	2. No Regrets jajibuba

**Title: **No Regrets

**Author: **Jajibuba

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: **_Hope you enjoy it. My first attempt at a Jibbs fic, actually my first NCIS fic come to think of it. Thanks to MissJayne for organising this wonderful Jibbsfest :) And if you don't get my Jenny's hair description, it is how it looked in __Lost and found__. _

**Disclaimer: **_Sadly I do not own NCIS or things would have turned out differently :(_

Jenny woke to the birdsong emitting from the tree outside her window. Of course the birds didn't understand that on one of her rare days off she might actually want to sleep in. She placed a pillow over her head trying to muffle the sound, but she knew it was fruitless – once the sun was up so was she.

She dragged her eyes to her alarm clock, 6:45am, "At least that's a small sleep-in," she thought. Eventually she made it over to the shower and by 8am she had run out of things to do.

SECNAV had ordered her not to take ANY paperwork home so that the deputy director had a go and so she used up a 3 days' worth of her ever growing amount of holiday days. As a result she was stuck at home for 3 days with nothing to do and to top it off she had left her precious agency in the hand of an amateur… great.

She decided that maybe she should try and read a book. That was something she hadn't done in a while – she just never had the time to do it. She went over to the book shelves in her study, but she couldn't find something she wanted to read.

A thought crossed her mind that she wasn't the only one to be forced off duty for these 3 days – Gibbs had been forced off duty by SECNAV also since he took no holidays either. She was already worrying about the havoc Tony and Ziva could create together in 3 days without Gibbs to keep them in line.

A thought of "maybe I could go visit Jethro" crossed her mind, but she banished it immediately. Lately Jethro had been popping up more frequently in her thoughts. She had accepted a long time ago that she loved him and was never going to love anyone else.

She regretted leaving him all those years ago and she frequently imagined what her life could have been like… maybe she would have been a mother instead of the Director of NCIS.

"Regrets" she thought. "That's what my life is made up of… stupid pointless regrets."

She loved her job, she truly did. But sometimes it would be nice to come home to someone – to someone who loved you – to wake up next to them – to seek comfort in them when she needed it.

She felt a tear begin to trickle down her cheek. Angrily she wiped away. "Crying over a man Jennifer, that is appalling," she told herself, yet still the tears kept coming.

Eventually she gave in and let them run, curling up on the couch, folding her knees into her chest and placing her head gently on them.

* * *

Half an hour later she had made a decision. She was going to visit Jethro. She was going to try to make amends. She was going to show him that she was ready to risk everything for a chance at 'them'.

She returned to her bathroom upstairs to fix her make-up, streaked down her face after crying. In the mirror she saw her hair – "another regret" she thought – she had cut it short upon becoming director in order to get a more professional 'boyish' look in the hope that the men whom she worked with would take her more seriously.

Now at with it at 'almost touching her shoulders' length, she liked it better. It spiked off a bit – like a pixie cut. She was glad that she was once again able to pin it up. She sometimes wished though that she had never cut her hair off.

Grabbing her car keys off the key hanger, she walked outside closing the door behind her. She had sent her security detail off for the duration of her time off despite his protests. It had been a while since she had driven herself anywhere but she was sure she still had the hang of it.

* * *

The drive to Jethro's was short and uneventful. Jenny didn't have the heart to turn on the radio anymore. All these love songs made her heart ache for what she could have had – it sometimes set off a tear or two if it was a really good song.

She parked on the curb outside Jethro's house but remained in the car. She had no idea what she was doing here – she had no right to be here – she was the one who had left him ending their relationship in Paris, she couldn't go back to him asking for a second chance. Yet she knew if she didn't, she would probably live the rest of her life miserable and lonely. An old lady full of regrets and whose life was based on 'What ifs'.

Jenny didn't want to be alone when she was old. She always envisioned herself sitting on a porch swing, grey haired and old, next to a grey or greyer haired Jethro. Once there had been children and grandchildren in that picture but she knew realistically that it was too late for that to happen.

"Come on Jennifer Shepard," she told herself, stepping out of the car just a tiny bit slower than normal and walking up to Jethro's front door.

Her hand was poised to knock when the door opened from the inside and there stood Jethro, clothed in casual attire with a duffle bag slung over his left shoulder. He had a shocked expression on his face for less than a second before he raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner, waiting for Jenny to explain herself.

She stuttered trying to come up with a reasonable explanation before finally surrendering with a simple "Hi."

"Hello yourself," Gibbs replied looking Jenny up and down.

Jethro smiled leaving Jenny confused and then continued to his car, opening the boot and chucking the duffle bag in. Jenny's heart sunk. He already had plans – he was going away. She tried to peer into his boot to get some sort of clue as to where he was going. All she spied was his duffle bag and what appeared to be a bottle of Marine Lubricant. "Boating?" she thought but couldn't get anything else.

Jenny finally resorted to the easy way out – asking.

"Where are you going?"

"Away" – a typical Gibbs answer.

"Where to?"

"Why do you care?"

"Just curious."

"Huh," Gibbs smiled and shut his car boot with a loud bang and returned back into the house with Jenny following close behind.

Naturally Jenny wasn't satisfied with Gibbs previous answer so a minute later after watching him watch her she pressed on. "So are you going to answer my question or not?"

"I'd go for the latter I think," he smirked and walked off in the direction of the basement stairs with Jenny on his heels giving a frustrated "Humph".

She knew that Gibbs could feel her eyes boring into his back as she stood at the top of the stairs while he searched around downstairs for something.

Gibbs retrieved a flashlight sitting on the top shelf, smiling as he blew off the dust that had settled on it. He then proceeded to come back up the stairs and Jenny decided that this was enough.

"I won't let you pass unless you tell me where you're going," she stated as seriously as she possibly could manage.

"Is that so?" Gibbs questioned as he looked past Jenny back into the house.

"Yes," she replied the ghost of a smile playing on her lips – she knew she had won.

"Well if it concerns you so much I am going up to my cabin in the woods for the weekend – just because I can if you're wondering," Gibbs snapped pushing past Jenny and out to his car.

Jenny stayed where she was until she heard the car door slam, which was when she made one of her quickest decisions ever on how to deal with the situation.

She ran up the stairs cursing her choice of footwear and out the front door. Jenny then walked up to the passenger door of the car, taking a deep breath as she wasn't sure about what the answer was that she was going to receive, and opened it.

Jenny sat down in the seat clutching her nervously in front of her chest after closing the car door. She could feel eyes boring into her face as he waited expectantly for an explanation.

"Can I come?" she squeaked, the ugly face of regret rearing its head at this risky decision. She didn't know if she could take rejection, she was already so hurt inside that one last stab to the heart might be her last – even if it was the first one that wasn't self-inflicted.

Gibbs turned the keys in the ignition before asking "Do you need to stop by your place for some things?"

* * *

In just under an hour later, Jenny and Jethro were well on their way. Jenny had grabbed a few clothes and extras not knowing what she would find at this mysterious cabin. She was looking forward to this weekend away and also a bit anxious.

She didn't know how she had been granted this opportunity at a second chance but Jennifer Shepard sure wasn't going to let it pass her by.

She had been dreaming of this ever since she left Jethro back in Paris and it was finally happening – sort of. Jenny still didn't really know where their relationship stood. Was this a trip between friends or colleagues or possibly a trip to rekindle the fire that had burned in Paris? Still though she didn't want to rush things – this time she was going to do it right. She could only hope that Gibbs felt the same way.

* * *

They arrived at the Cabin at about 3pm after stopping over in a small town for lunch and then taking a walk to see the sights. The cabin was a small wooden structure nestled into the forest and entangled in ivy (not the poisonous stuff luckily). Jenny was in awe of it as soon as Gibbs notified her of its presence.

Jenny slowly opened her door after the car came to a stop, taking in her surroundings as she stood up. She didn't notice Jethro until she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Come on in, I'll show you round" said Gibbs taking Jenny's hand as if it was the most normal thing in the world and leading her towards the cabin.

* * *

20 minutes later Jethro had given Jenny a brief tour of the house and then insisted on going out to find some firewood by himself before it got dark. Jenny tried to come but Jethro insisted that she stay in the cabin.

Feeling a bit useless Jenny started putting the food that Jethro had bought – now enough for 2 – away into the cupboards. That simple task though was over within a matter of minutes.

Jenny began wandering back through the house until she came to the main room – a rustic old fireplace the centre point with a well-worn couch in front of it; "No TV" she mused, "doesn't surprise me". It was only then that Jenny noticed the shelf standing against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

Walking up to it she noticed a dozen or so books, one called 'French for Beginners' made her smile. The rest of the shelf though was taken up by photographs in picture frames.

Looking through them Jenny could feel tears running down her cheeks. Jethro and Kelly; Shannon; Shannon, Jethro and a grinning toddler Kelly; Mike and Jethro; she assumed there were almost 20 photos. Jenny couldn't believe that she hadn't known about Shannon and Kelly when she and Jethro were together. Thinking about how much pain Jethro must have been in and still be in made the tears run harder.

Jenny was sure that this was the most she had cried in a long time. She could feel herself beginning to come apart here in the quietness of the cabin, her feelings being bared for all to see. It was then that she noticed a photo in a plain wooden frame.

As she picked it up a stray tear landed on the photo, it washed away a circle of the dust that covered the glass. Blowing off the remaining dust revealed a photo of her and Jethro. They were standing in front of a fountain in Paris and she appeared to have just splashed Jethro with water. She had a smile that she hadn't seen in years, since Paris actually, beaming across her face. Her hand lay on Jethro's chest as they looked deeply into each other's eyes – unaware of anything but themselves.

"Ducky took that and gave it to me, it's one of my favourites," Jethro stated as he dropped a few logs into the basket next to the fire which was now roaring. Jenny had jumped at the sound of his voice, unaware that he had been in the room, let alone long enough for him to be able to light the fire. Jenny set the photo back onto the shelf. She didn't want to turn around and show Jethro the tears that were now steadily trickling down her face.

Jenny felt Jethro's hand come to rest on her shoulder as if he knew something was wrong. She attempted to shrug it off but Gibbs turned her around to face him. The moment he saw she was crying his features softened and he pulled Jenny into him and sat down on the couch. Jenny's head curled into Jethro's muscular chest as his arms wrapped around her and she let out all the emotion she had been bottling up for years.

* * *

Jenny and Jethro shared a silent dinner after the turn the afternoon had taken. Jenny felt embarrassed that Jethro had seen her so broken like that yet at the same time, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

They finished their dinner and Jenny sat down as Jethro took the dishes back to the kitchen. He came back with a bag of marshmallows and two long pointy sticks.

"Found them while I was out wood hunting," he confessed, handing one to Jenny along with the packet of marshmallows.

"I'm sorry for you know, before," Jenny admitted as her hand brushed Jethro's.

"You needed it – no-one can keep their emotions bottled up behind a steel façade forever," he replied grapping a marshmallow and spearing it onto his stick.

As Jethro placed his marshmallow into the fire Jenny decided that this time was as good as any to try and take a step in the right direction.

"You know Jethro," she whispered "leaving you in Paris was one of my biggest regrets, I miss you, and I have never stopped loving you." She looked deep into Jethro's eyes and she felt he deserved an explanation.

"You didn't fit in my 5 point plan; I had to get revenge for my father –" her stammering was cut off by a pair of lips. She responded immediately, surprising herself. His mouth was so warm, the caress of his lips softer than she could remember. He tasted tentatively with his tongue, and Jenny opened her mouth with a low moan.

The kiss grew heated until Jethro pulled away smiling "I love you too," he whispered into Jenny ear.

Jenny never thought she would ever hear that again. She grinned like a giddy teenager and placed her head once again on Jethro's chest.

Grabbing Jethro's forgotten marshmallow stick that was still in the fire Jenny attempted to bring it out so that she could eat it herself except it had melted during the time they had been 'busy' and just dropped straight off the stick.

"You made my marshmallow fall in the fire!" complained Jethro, an expression of mock anger plastered on his face. Jenny just smiled and seductively placed her own uncooked marshmallow whole into her mouth before bursting out into laughter.

* * *

Two people sat in front of a roaring fire. Their feelings now out in the open so their regrets could be forgotten so new memories could be made – and not just during this get away weekend – but for the rest of their lives.


	3. Only Our Children mariskababy92

**Title:** Only Our Children

**Author: **Mariskababy92

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer**: Don't own the characters except for Jasper. NCIS isn't mine.

**A/N**: This isn't beta-ed so, I apologize in advance for any typos.

Six thirty blinked on the clock and Jethro rolled over and found his wife's side of the bed empty and cold. He hated that she never rested on their days off. He sat up and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. He knew she was nowhere in the room because there hadn't been any sudden movement besides his own.

Emerging from his bedroom, silence filled his ears as the smell of the fresh swill of Jamaican blend permeated his nostrils. Heading into the kitchen, he still couldn't for the life of him figure out where his wife was. He grabbed a mug and poured himself some of the sludge he called coffee, as he searched the kitchen for a note from Jenny.

Realizing there wasn't one, Gibbs took a seat at the counter and read through yesterday's paper. He finished two articles and then abandoned the paper to search for his wife. He headed out of the kitchen and into the living room. He stopped when he made it past the couch as he heard a distinct sound. His ears perked up as the sound of birds filled his eardrums. Smirking to himself, Gibbs knew exactly where Jenny was.

Heading to the back towards the patio, Gibbs slid the sliding door open, revealing his wife in a yoga pose. He had forgotten about her new workout routine. He leaned against the door frame watching for a minute before he decided to interrupt her.

Jenny took in a deep breath, as she closed her eyes once again. She was in the downward dog pose with her hands extended out past her head and her body at a slight tilt. Her back was as straight as a board. Her breathing seemed labored and tranquil. She wasn't aware of her husband's presence like usual which is why she was caught off guard when his strong, calloused hands gripped her waist firmly.

Jenny jerked forward, losing her balance in the process. It was a good thing her husband had a strong hold on her or she would've toppled over.

"Jethro! Why are you sneaking up on people?" she asked demandingly.

Gibbs smirk grew as his hands slid inward towards her thighs, "Just thought I would say good morning."

Jenny shook her head and pulled herself up fully and turned in her husband's arms. "There are other ways, Jethro."

Placing a kiss on his wife's plump lips, Gibbs pulled back and smiled. "You enjoy the birdsongs?"

Narrowing her chocolate eyes, Jenny knew her husband loved getting a reaction out of her. She listened to the mating of the Blue Jays because those were the animals she mostly connected with.

"It's how I find my inner being and the Blue Jays are my calling card, bastard," Jenny huffed as she pulled away from his grip and headed in the house.

Smiling, Jethro chuckled and turned to follow. He found it sexy that she had decided to find her inner self. She was more calm and more understanding both at work and at home. He found she even calmed him down at times just by making him do a few of her techniques. Though he didn't always enjoy the techniques, he found himself more attractive to her and even sexier when she spoke calmly, but urgently. Just thinking about her reprimanding him and the thought of her pose from earlier had Jethro taking the steps two at a time. He made it to his room just as she was closing the bathroom door. Moving quickly, Jethro began stripping with every step he took. He was completely naked by the time the bathroom door opened. He could see Jenny's body through the pain glass door and his cock twitched a little.

Entering the shower, Jethro was met by a glare and a "Get out." Apparently, his presence hadn't been a welcoming one, but he was going to change that.

Sliding behind Jenny, Jethro went to work on her pulse point. Within minutes, Jenny had become putty in her husband's hands. He knew her spots and she continued to put up fights against him.

Jenny's head fell back into the crevice of her husband's neck as her breathing became erratic. _God that man could work miracles with his tongue,_ Jen thought as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. As her thoughts began to cloud her mind, Jenny thought about her daughters. Pulling away, Jenny pushed Jethro away and began bathing.

"What the hell, Jen?" Gibbs practically growled.

Smirking, she knew he had a hard-on. "Shouldn't get so excited, Jethro. Go use that "Marine lube" you love to brag about so much and help yourself."

His glare could be felt as his wife turned halfway and winked.

"Doesn't just help me, Jen," Jethro shot back as he climbed out of the shower. He would be a good boy and wait.

Drying himself off, he had just made it into his room before the doorbell rang. Growling, he quickly threw on some shorts and a shirt. He made his way downstairs and was greeted by his daughters Jasper and Lizzy. They all exchanged welcomes before Jethro headed for the basement. He stayed down there until Jenny appeared at the top of the staircase forty minutes later.

"We're leaving, be back in a bit."

Jethro grunted and headed upstairs to tell his daughters goodbye. He was rounding the corner when he heard his elder child speaking.

"Mom, did you and dad just finish banging?"

Gibbs could hear Jasper snicker and Jenny gasp.

Jenny's face turned beet red as she was taken aback by her daughter's forward comment. "Well Liz, we are old but we aren't dead."

"Gross mom! That's why dad had a hard-on when he answered the door," Jasper said in mock disgust.

Jethro could hear his wife reprimanding their daughters as his eyes fell on the picture frame of them when they were just kids. He picked up the picture and shook his head. Sometimes he wished they were at that young age again, especially when something like their comments escaped their mouths.

**Hope you all enjoyed! Jibbfest at its best! Reviews and comments are welcomed. **


	4. Watching the City Pass By fashiongirl97

**Title**: Watching The City Pass By

**Author**: fashiongirl97

**Rating**: K+

Walls: they surrounded her now. She'd built them up around her heart, her emotions… everything that had once made her who she was. Too high for anyone to peak over, too strong to be broken through… too old for her to still see a glimpse of who she once was. She'd fallen into the trap so long ago, been swallowed up by the job, and spat out with nothing but a title. As she turned around she saw the sun shining and reflecting on the water in the Navy Yard. The sight no longer made her smile. It was like she'd gone into a maze leaving bread crumbs along the way only for them to get eaten, and for her to get lost.

As she sat there images flashed through her mind of the fight she had just had with Jethro. It had been the worst they had had in the three years since she became Director. In fact she didn't think they'd had one that bad since way back when she'd been his probie. Only this time they'd raked up the past, torn open old wounds that had not had the chance to heal.

"_You're the one who nearly screwed up out mission in Paris because you decided to shoot a PD cop!" he shouted glaring at her._

"_I was an accident Jethro! I didn't think 'oh lets cause a storm and shoot an innocent cop'!"_

"_You may as well of done!"_

"_Well I'm sorry I make mistakes! I'm sorry I wasn't the perfect agent you wanted me to be! I'm sorry I'm not a flawless director!"_

"_I never expected you to be JENNY!"_

"_Yeah? Well it sure as heck didn't feel like it!"_

"_What's that supposed to mean?!"_

"_Where do I start Jethro! You never said well done, never acknowledged I was terrified, Jethro you never said I love you!"_

"_You never gave me a chance; you went jetting off because you wanted a career more than me!"_

"_Well I'm sorry I didn't want to stay your probie forever Jethro!"_

"_You know what Jenny? I'm glad you did, because you aren't the same person you were anymore, I don't know who you are." He said in a quiet voice before leaving. _

He'd said it, the thing she had known too well. But as he'd gone, he'd spared a glance at the photo frame on her desk. The one in which he remembered had once held a picture of them. Now there was one of the Eiffel Tower – a metaphorical symbol of the relationship they had once had. She stared at that frame now. As she did she picked it up and took off the back, looking at the photo that stared her back. It was her and Jethro laughing. It was taken before Marseilles, before they'd crossed the invisible line. They were just laughing; stood with coffee in hands at a crime scene laughing. She loved it; it showed how they had been best friends as well as lovers. Now they were nothing – and that stung.

* * *

He slammed the door and went. He hadn't meant to wind her up; but he loved to see the fire in her eyes, always had. But when he saw the hurt and pain, he knew he'd gone too far. Only he didn't stop, he just kept digging and digging. Then he left; now he walked past their area of the bullpen, not stopping even at Tony's questioning, McGee's stammering or Ziva's threats. He's messed up – big time! And in the back of his mind he knew that there was no going back.

He walked out of NCIS, not taking his car, needing to think. He walked, and walked and walked. Walked out of the city, heading to the pace where they had spent their only ever date in DC. The place he came when he needed to remember the good times, and not just the heart breaking pain she had left when she had run away. He walked up the empty hill to the top. It was steep, but he relished in the burn in his lungs as he reached the top.

Standing there looking down he smiled at the city as people bustled about their everyday lives. People stuck in traffic, people shopping, working… each one in their own world, meeting new people yet not even thinking to enter their world. Each person distancing themselves from the people around them: like a bubble around each one of them. A slight smile formed on his face as he remembered the night they had come up here. They'd raced. She'd taken off her ridiculously high heels half way up and ran barefoot. He let her stay in front so he could look at her backside. Then as she'd neared the top he'd grabbed her around her waist, both of them falling. She ended up on top of him. After a make out session she'd placed her head on his chest…

_She was content at just letting him hold her, listening to the comforting sound of his heart. They risked their lives every day, so easily everything could be ripped away from them. That was why sometimes it was nice to love the little things. "It's strange, how big everything seems when you're down there. But from up here it seems so … small, so… insignificant. Like, we could meet so many new people, touch so many more lives, but we separate ourselves." She said as she stared down at the dusk of the City. He just kissed her head. She had a way with words he never would…_

In some ways that was the night he had realised how in love with her he was. It was just before they were sent to Paris, just before they were pushed to their limits. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like if they hadn't accepted the op, if they'd stayed in DC. Where would they be now? Or would it all have ended up the same, only it would be DC that represented the heart break and not a European city thousands of miles away.

As he sat up there, on the hill staring down on the city like a king would over his kingdom. The birds sang their song in the still air. Their sweet tune that was like no other, that filled the world with just an ever so simple melody which could hold so many memories, for so many different people. He pulled a picture out from his pocket. Opening up the old paper, he stared down at the faded picture, white lines had appeared where it had spent years folded in a small square. The corners dog-eared from carrying around even when the memories stung too much to think about. He gazed at the picture, a smile forming on his face; it was a picture of Jenny. Her long red hair falling down her back, her hand outstretched as she fed a small bird. It sat on the ends of her fingers and nibbled at the seeds she held out. He remembered being shocked in a way that someone who was currently undercover as an arms dealer would relish in such a gentle and simple thing. She loved birds: that he had never forgotten. As he looked at the picture he remembered taking it in Serbia. How he'd watched from the back door of the old farm house as she fed the bird. He'd snapped a picture never wanting to forget that moment in time. It was evidence of how she had an air about her that could make even the most timid of creatures and people feel safe in her presence.

Jethro thought about the necklace he had bought her in Paris. He'd gone into beautiful jewellers near Christmas time; the sales assistant had attempted to guide him over to an area of cliché necklaces with silver Eiffel Towers on them. But he'd walked into the chop for a reason. At the end was a small cabinet with a necklace that had been just here. It had had a gold chain with a small, delicate bird on it. There were no diamonds or precious stone, just intricately patterned gold. He'd bought it then and there. The smile on her face that Christmas when she opened it had been worth a million dollars.

He hadn't seen her wear it as Director, then again he never looked. He never appreciated what she wore any more. Once upon a time he'd taken the time each day to look at her, admire her beauty, now though, that seemed like a foreign concept.

* * *

She looked at the photo and smiled, playing with her necklace – the one with a bird he'd bought her, the one she'd worn every day since she left even if it was only under a sweater. Putting the photo away she decided it was time she was honest with herself. This time, instead of hiding the photo behind a metaphorical memory, she decided to put it on display. The picture brought a smile to her face as it always did.

Getting up she grabbed her light weight jacket and decided it was time to make the past right. As she left her office she told Cynthia to cancel her day. At that moment she didn't care if she had a meeting with the President, he wasn't the one who had caused her sleepless nights for the last decade. So with a small smile on her face, she bought coffee and headed for the one place she knew he would go. The one place she went when she needed to remember the good times, and although he tried to hide it, he did have feelings – just like everyone else.

* * *

The smell of her perfume, coffee and bourbon brought him from his thoughts. He watched as she sat down, listening to the silence. She handed him the coffee she had bought him with a smile. "Someone once told me this stuff was marine lubricant," she said with a chuckle.

"Fornell," he replied with a smirk.

"I was your probie, you and Diane were on the rocks and you were being a stubborn headed pig. He came up to me and said 'wanna know the secret to getting on his good side?' I just laughed and said you didn't have one. Tobias told me coffee was marine lubricant."

"Best thing he's ever said."

"That I'll agree with."

They remained in silence, comfortably. He noticed her playing with her necklace; the very one he had been thinking about only half an hour before. "You kept it," he said.

She knew what he was talking about instantly. "Haven't taken it off since the day I left." He smiled at her. "You were right you know, I have changed, and not necessarily for the better."

"No, Jen. I didn't mean it…I …I crossed the line this time-"

"We both did Jethro," she said turning to face him for the first time since she had arrived. "I didn't mean what I said either you know."

"I know Jenny."

She leant into him gently, resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled and kissed her hair lightly as he wrapped his arm around her. She looked up and him and kissed him ever so softly. With a smile on both of their faces they stayed like that: watching over the city, watching as people lead their lives, some cried, some laughed some loved. But as the sun set, everyone shared the beauty of the pink sky above. Jenny and Jethro watched until night began to fall, sitting together, sharing the occasional kiss and words. Yet as night time began, they walked hand in hand away from the hill and down towards the city.

A new life would await them. Her walls were strong, too strong for her to break down alone. But with love in her heart, and Jethro by her side, she managed to break them down. They'd been given a second chance, and neither of them was going to let it slip away easily this time…


	5. Birdsong MissJayne

**Title: **Birdsong

**Author:** MissJayne

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: **Jenny's sleep deprivation... experiences are inspired by my father, who has told me some very interesting stories.

The soft chirruping of birds and the gentle sunlight streaming through the window woke Jennifer Shepard. She squirmed, still half-asleep, and flung an arm over her head in a vague attempt to shut out the distractions.

It worked, for a while. The sun warmed her skin and made it tingle; it gave her a feeling of security and safety. Completely comfortable and utterly exhausted, she had no intention and no energy to struggle out of bed to close the drapes. The birdsong trilled in the background, one creature calling to another in a soothing melody.

She must have dozed off, fallen back into the arms of Morpheus, as the next thing she recognized was a cool, calm breeze blowing through her room. Not enough to rouse her fully to consciousness, but she could certainly feel the difference. The fresh air danced across her skin, following the path of the sun. Her head felt more light and clear; the sense of refreshment pervaded. The birds sounded closer, still calling out to the world and singing their joyful songs.

She stretched, a decidedly feline movement, before curling back in on herself and mumbling incoherently under her breath. The covers were soft and warm, and oh it was so much effort to even _consider_ crawling out from under them. The steadily climbing sun could go away, or alternately help keep her warm while she stayed exactly where she was.

It was the smell of bacon that finally roused her to semi-consciousness. She flailed with the covers for a few moments before deciding it wasn't worth the effort to fight. Her eyes still closed, she stretched again and grumbled at the sunlight dancing across her eyelids. Why couldn't a girl have just five more minutes in this luxurious bed?

So exhausted was she that it took her a moment to remember where she was and how she'd got there. She attempted to open her eyes against the sunlight and immediately gave up. Far easier to think back.

Her week – scratch that, her _month_ – had been awful. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong, and then a few other things had joined the party. To add to her problems, her loyal assistant Cynthia had come down with a nasty strain of the flu and the temp was a completely useless, sexist pig who may have suffered a few 'accidents' at the hands of Ziva and Abby.

Yesterday, she had been waiting in Abby's lab for some urgent DNA results (Gibbs, of course, not noticing her insane hours and the overtime and the fact she quite literally hadn't left the Navy Yard in thirteen days, not that she was counting, and deciding she could schlep for his team). Abby had exhausted her even further with her energy, although bless the girl for noticing how fatigued she was and offering Caf-Pow! in an attempt to cheer her up. (The Caf-Pow! had been willingly drunk – Jenny could not refuse caffeine at this point). The Goth had eventually bounced out the door to see Ducky (or Tony or Timmy – Jenny's hearing had really started to go two days ago), leaving Jenny by herself.

She had taken the opportunity to poke around in Abby's domain. It had the added bonus of preventing her from dozing off. She had started in Abby's office space, staring at the boxes and refrigerators and cabinets, wondering vaguely what they could contain. Until one box had caught her eye and thoroughly confused her.

What would Abby need a box marked 'Marine Lubricant' for?

The young scientist wasn't seeing any Marines, as far as Jenny knew. Abby had been diligently keeping her and Ziva up to date with her love life since the stalker debacle (Gibbs had given her the option of telling two females or allowing him to vet everyone she so much as smiled at). Nevertheless, why would Abby need something so specific? Was there a market for this stuff? If she searched online, would she find 'Navy Lubricant' and 'Army Lubricant'?

She had been scratching her head when Gibbs had appeared. Apparently she had resorted to talking aloud (damn her screwed-up hearing and her desperate desire for sleep) as he had laughed. It wasn't until she had glared (unsuccessfully) at him and possibly punched him in the arm that she realized her mistake.

Oh, she really needed sleep.

When Gibbs had finally stopped chuckling (and snorting and giggling and grinning like a madman), and only after Abby had reappeared and demanded to know what was so amusing (which had only succeeded in setting Gibbs off again), he had led her to the elevator and pulled the emergency stop. She had been prepared to tell him off, if she could find the energy, but he had forestalled her by surprisingly offering a relaxing weekend at a cabin he owned.

She had been there once before, a lifetime ago, and initially she thought it a little awkward. But he had stopped grinning and now looked concerned, and she decided it was better to walk in willingly than risk him coming up with a hare-brained scheme to get her there anyway, especially as it would probably involve his team and turn into a circus.

He had been the perfect gentleman – carefully escorting her out of her office at 1700 and ignoring her half-hearted pleas that she had further work to do and just needed to finish an email. And make a few phone calls. And check on Ducky. And argue over something with Legal. And quadruple-check her budget figures. And come up with a new way to annoy her temp and keep him the hell away from her. He had gathered the possessions she needed and guided her away from her office with a hand resting gently but firmly on her lower back, completely impervious to her words.

He had insisted on driving her, probably a good idea in hindsight as she was fairly sure she had begun to visually hallucinate five days ago (and the audio hallucinations had started two days before that). He had even managed to dismiss her protection detail after informing them of their planned location and promising to keep a satellite phone on him at all times.

She had dozed in the car, the traffic streaming past the window and no conversation combining to lull her to sleep. And after that… she couldn't remember anything until waking up here.

The smell of bacon was much stronger now and her stomach rumbled in response. When had she last eaten? Cynthia would have watched her and reported to Gibbs, the two of them conspiring to look after her (probably a good thing). Her hunger finally got the better of her and she wriggled out from under the sheets, slightly perturbed to find she was wearing her favorite pajamas rather than the suit she recalled falling asleep in. Oh well, either she'd woken up enough to get changed last night or Jethro was continuing to take care of her, and he'd seen it all before anyway.

Not bothering to get dressed, she headed for the door and out into the rest of the cabin. Jethro was quietly whistling to himself in the kitchen area on the far side, off in his own world for the moment. Jenny decided to take the opportunity to sneak up on him, until her eyes caught on a picture frame tucked away on a shelf.

It was a childish, handmade frame – obviously a gift from Kelly that he treasured. Shells had been stuck on haphazardly at the top, tiny colored stones on the bottom, and a generous helping of pink glitter smothered everything. She smiled it, delighted the surly ex-marine had some good memories in this place.

But it was the photograph that took her breath away.

She knew where it had been taken – Jethro had decided to replant half his garden last summer and she had dropped in to help out (also known as stealing his beer and putting the unearthed worms in his underwear drawer). She couldn't work out _when_ he had snapped it; she had streaks of dirt all over her face, her hair was falling out of the loose ponytail she'd forced it into, and overall she looked like a creature from the bowels of the earth.

Yet clearly he treasured it, keeping it hidden away where she would never find it (and thus burn it) and in a picture frame he certainly adored.

Why would he do such a thing? There were far prettier photos of her out there; even if he couldn't find them, Abby would assist (and had been told off for her Photoshopping skills before). Why not keep it in his house, where his team could 'accidently' stumble across her looking absolutely awful? Why not blackmail her with it – he definitely could have used something like this two weeks ago when she had point blank refused to send Ziva undercover?

Perhaps… dare she even think it… perhaps he felt the same way she still did.

She squared her shoulders, preparing to ask him. She was too tired to care if it damaged their tentative friendship, and she could always burn the photo if it turned out he wanted it for blackmail. Right now, she did not have much to lose and possibly everything to gain.

And she could always blame it on her lack of sleep.


End file.
